Yamal is an extractive field of news. In Salekhard the arctic journalists are searching for truth and balance

On the 10^th of December the International Circumpolar Mass Media Congress “Arctic Media World” was opened in Salekhard. After visiting the settlement Sabetta on the shore of the Kara Sea, where Russia’s largest arctic projects are being implemented, the congress participants opened the business program of three plenary sessions in Salekhard. They are devoted to ecology in the Arctic, preservation of traditions of indigenous peoples of the North and socioeconomic development of the Arctic. Presentations were made by the governor of Yamal Dmitry Artyukhov, the secretary of the Union of journalists in Finland Juha Rekola, a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vladimir Pushkaryov, the chairman of Barents Press Sweden Tim Andersson, academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Alexander Kamnev, the ambassador-at-large for international cooperation in the Arctic at the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation Vladimir Barbin and others.

At the congress opening Yamal was called the extractive field of news. The famous TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov attracts attention to the fact that the media space covers very little positive news and, for example, Sabetta in Yamal can become the center of positive. The presenter agrees that the West writes about Russia either badly or nothing at all, and this situation should be changed.

Answers to questions of the foreign participants were the most interesting. For example, a representative of the University of Helsinki was interested in Yamal’s insurance against hydrocarbon-free existence. Dmitry Artyukhov answers that the region has another mission. The governor knows, what reserves are, and takes into account the fact that gas is the most environmentally friendly type of energy resources, therefore, he assures that the region is very attentive to the word “diversification” and on the severe land with high costs people understand how to warm the country.

Answering the question about public-private partnership, Vladimir Pushkaryov underlines that the State Duma has the package of projects on relations between business and the power. They touch upon restoration of cultural values, roads, including construction of bridges, enlargement of opportunities of the Arctic. There were also questions about laws vitally important for arctic regions on reindeer husbandry and ethnological expert examination, the deputy assures that the work is being conducted.

According to Dmitry Artyukhov in the conclusion, nobody says that everything is perfect, but the main thing is that balance has been achieved, and even the Association of indigenous peoples refused from deliberately excessive demands.

“We found a point of balance”, the governor said. – “Another thing is that this point is changing due to new modern challenges. But the main thing is that people have no resentment, new opportunities for development appear”.